Effects Of Combined Exercise And Cognitive Training On Executive Function Of Adolescent Shooting Athletes: FNIRS Study

Objective: Executive Function refers to the ability to monitor and manage a variety of cognitive processing based on goals,including three independent components: transformation,refresh and inhibition.Shooting is a sport that requires athletes to have a high level of cognitive processing ability to achieve extraordinary accuracy.Executive function plays a very important role in the competitive performance of shooting athletes.In recent years,the effects of exercise intervention and cognitive training on the improvement of individual executive function have received extensive attention.However,it is unclear whether combined exercise cognitive training(CECT)can improve executive function,and the neural mechanism on effectiveness of computer cognitive training alone(CCT)in adolescent shooting athletes.is still not clear In this study,near infrared brain imaging(fNIRS)technology was used to investigate the effects of 6-week CECT and CCT on executive function of adolescent shooting athletes and their neural mechanisms,in order to explore whether CECT is better than CCT in improving executive function,and to provide reference for improving athlete’s executive function training programs.Methods: 33 shooters(18 boys,15 girls)were randomly divided into CECT group(17 girls)and CCT group(16 girls).Both groups received 30 minutes of intervention training 3 times a week for 6 weeks.Before and after the intervention,two groups of athletes were tested for three sub-functions: 2-Back,Task-switching(switching Task,non-switching task)and Stroop(consistent condition,inconsistent condition).The dependent variables were behavioral performance(accuracy and response time)for the three tasks,and the prefrontal cortex Oxygen and hemoglobin(Oxy-HB)levels monitored by fNIRS during the task.Statistical methods were 2(group: CECT group,CCT group)×2(measurement order: pre-test,post-test)repeated measure variance analysis.Results:(1)The results of behavioral data showed that: in 2-Back task,when the dependent variable was correct rate,the main effect of measurement order was significant(F(1,31)=17.981,p<0.001).The paired T-test showed that the post-test was significantly better than the pre-test(CECT group,p = 0.003;CCT group,p =0.026).In task-switching tasks,the interaction between the switching Task group and the measurement order is significant when the dependent variable is correct(F(1,31)=8.335,p=0.007).Simple effect results showed that the CECT group was significantly better in the post-test than the pre-test(p=0.020).The main effect of non-switching task was significant(F(1,31)=4.972,p=0.033).The paired T-test showed that the CECT group was significantly better than the pre-test(p=0.044).When the dependent variable was response time,the main effect was significant(F(1,31)=28.921,p<0.001).The paired T-test showed that the posttest results in both groups were significantly better than those in the pretest(CECT group,p=0.001;CCT group,p = 0.005).In Stroop task,the dependent variable was correct rate and response time.The two conditions(consistent condition and inconsistent condition)and the interference effect group,the main effect of measurement order and the interaction between group and measurement order were not significant.(2)fNIRS data showed that there was marginal significance in the interaction between group and measurement order in the middle frontal pole region(M-FPA)(F(1,31)=3.663,p=0.065).Simple effect results showed that the hemodynamic changes of Oxy-Hb associated with the 2-Back task in the CECT group were significantly higher in the posttest than in the pretest(p= 0.004).In the left frontal pole region(L-FPA),the interaction between group and order of measurement was significant(F(1,31)=7.859,p=0.009).Simple effect results showed that the hemodynamic changes of Oxy-Hb associated with Task-switching tasks were significantly higher in the CECT group than in the pre-test(p=0.001).In the left frontal pole region(L-FPA),the interaction between group and order of measurement was significant(F(1,31)=7.923,p=0.008).Simple effect results showed that the hemodynamic changes of Oxy-Hb related to Stroop task in the CECT group were significantly higher in the posttest than in the pretest(p=0.040).In the middle frontal pole region(M-FPA),the margin of interaction between group and order of measurement was significant(F(1,31)=3.91,p=0.057).Simple effect results showed that the hemodynamic changes of Oxy-Hb related to Stroop task in the CECT group were significantly higher in the posttest than in the pretest(p=0.018).Conclusions: This study found that CECT’s executive function performance advantage over CCT was only higher in the correct rate of conversion ability test.However,compared with CCT,CECT significantly enhanced the activation level of Oxy-Hb in the frontal pole region of the prefrontal lobe when performing three tasks,which proved that CECT was more conducive to improving the executive function of adolescent shooters than CCT.This study provides new experimental evidence for the improvement of executive function of adolescent shooters by CECT.Coaches can integrate the training elements of executive function into sports training to enhance the activation level of brain neurons of shooters,so as to achieve the dual purpose of fitness and brain health.